A long-standing mystery in astrophysics—where elements like gold come from—may be closer to being solved, thanks to decades-old data from NASA and the European Space Agency.
New analysis reveals that magnetars, a rare type of neutron star with intense magnetic fields, may have forged a significant portion of the universe’s heavy elements. The findings suggest these violent stellar remnants could be responsible for creating gold and similar materials during their explosive outbursts known as giant flares.
Rethinking the Origins of Gold
In the moments after the Big Bang, the universe produced only the lightest elements: hydrogen, helium, and a trace of lithium. Heavier elements formed later within stars. However, those heavier than iron—including gold, platinum, and uranium—have remained difficult to explain.
Now, a team led by Columbia University doctoral student Anirudh Patel has found evidence that up to 10 percent of these heavy elements could be created during giant flares from magnetars. These highly magnetized neutron stars release enormous energy bursts that may launch neutron-rich matter into space.
“It’s a pretty fundamental question in terms of the origin of complex matter in the universe,” said Patel.
The team published its results in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
What Exactly Is a Magnetar?
Neutron stars are the ultra-dense remnants of massive stars that exploded in supernovae. A single teaspoon of neutron star material would weigh over a billion tons. Magnetars are a subclass of these stars, notable for their extreme magnetic fields—trillions of times stronger than Earth’s.
Occasionally, a magnetar experiences a “starquake,” which cracks its crust and unleashes intense radiation bursts. These events, called giant flares, can even disturb Earth’s upper atmosphere despite occurring thousands of light-years away.
Only ten of these giant flares have ever been observed—three in our own galaxy and seven in nearby galaxies.
Gold-Building in Extreme Conditions
Heavy elements are thought to form through a process known as rapid neutron capture. In this process, atoms absorb large numbers of neutrons before undergoing nuclear decay, which transforms neutrons into protons and shifts the element’s identity on the periodic table.
In normal space environments, this process is rare. But inside or around a magnetar—where neutrons are densely packed—the conditions could allow these reactions to occur at lightning speed.
“Starquakes may provide a perfect storm,” explained co-author Brian Metzger, a senior research scientist at the Flatiron Institute. “Magnetars are full of neutrons, and when they flare, that matter may be ejected and immediately transformed into heavier elements like gold.”
This process would not just stop at gold. In the right settings, it could continue to forge even denser elements, including thorium and uranium.
Why Magnetars Might Matter More Than Colliding Stars
